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Review: Teebs - Ardour

By Scrooge McFuck, 12/13/2010 - 10:47am

Teebs - Ardour (2010) [Brainfeeder] // Grade: A-
Some albums tell a story, others catch you with their rhythm and lyrics. Newcomer to LA's Brainfeeder camp, Teebs, achieves neither with his debut Ardour. Instead, he succeeds at something entirely more original. Looping jingles, whistles and softly thumping beats, Teebs recreates the natural setting that backdrops our every day. Ardour is the sound of wind in the trees, of the sun peeking out at morning's first light, of the solitary quiet of late night.
At over 50 minutes, Ardour is a long-player and best listened to as though it were a single track. The sounds are mellow, and bleed into one another. Like nature, Ardour is always in flux. "While You Doooo" clacks along, a steady woodblock rhythm interlaced with short breaths. "Arthur's Birds" hops across dreamland, fracturing synths into a woozy, pulsing assemblage. Vocals rarely come into play as anything other than a tic or whisper, save for "Long Distance", featuring the throaty, wafting coo of Gaby Hernandez in the company of jingling bird calls. The addition of these guest vocals suggests Ardour as the quieter counterpart to Koushik's 2008 album, Out My Window on Stones Throw.
The only problem with Ardour is that like the backdrop of nature that surrounds us, it does such a good job at staying subtle that it is easy to skim past its intricate beauty. Ardour is a blanket of relaxation and by instinct you want to utilize it as a soundtrack. Before you work to this album, or fall asleep to it, allow yourself to sit quietly and bask in the warm glow of Teeb's horizon of thoughtful tones.